Name and shame the litterbugs

[thisismyotherbike]

 

How long it takes to biodegrade. 

Paper bag - 1 month

Apple core - 8 weeks

Orange peel and banana skins - 2 years

 

Just take it home! Who cares if it is biodegradable, it doesn't belong there! 

 

 

Never would it take two years unless you chucked it on a cold, barren mountain top, which is where I suspect that number comes from.  They would barely take two years in my fridge.

 

In our lovely climate it wouldn't last more than a few weeks, and long before that some critters will have found sustenance from it.

 

I don't disagree with your final point entirely as just putting it back in your pocket is no nuisance whatsoever - but I really don't think the odd banana peel (even say 1000 peels chucked over a 100km fun ride distance) does any harm whatsoever.

 

The analogy of someone chucking peels in your garden also doesn't hold as that's probably a tiny area in an urban environment.  Out in the fields between Wellington and Malmesbury the environment should quickly soak up the little windfall?  It's not really unnatural compared to everything that goes on out there continuously.

 

Anyhow, I'm just arguing semantics I guess.  Just put it in your pocket.  Got it.

[Andrew_Smith]

I always throw my banana peel in the bushes on our training rides.

 

I don't see any harm in this.

 

My gels/bars packaging goes back into my jersey pocket. 

 

Talked about this topic during one of our rides and we all agreed that throwing your banana peel into the bushes are fine.

[Eldron]

I always throw my banana peel in the bushes on our training rides.

 

I don't see any harm in this.

 

My gels/bars packaging goes back into my jersey pocket.

 

Talked about this topic during one of our rides and we all agreed that throwing your banana peel into the bushes are fine.

Why not just take it home?

[Skubarra]

 

 

The analogy of someone chucking peels in your garden also doesn't hold as that's probably a tiny area in an urban environment.  Out in the fields between Wellington and Malmesbury the environment should quickly soak up the little windfall?  It's not really unnatural compared to everything that goes on out there continuously.

 

Anyhow, I'm just arguing semantics I guess.  Just put it in your pocket.  Got it.

 

Never realised throwing away a banana peel is a contentious issue but I guess you learn something new everyday on thehub - noted..

 

What I will say I often notice empty Gu sachets laying around on trails & roads + all over the place after events - struggling to recall the last time I have noticed banana peels laying around all over the place. 

[Andrew_Smith]

Why not just take it home?

 

I do not see anything wrong with it nor feel bad. 

 

Of course, this is my opinion and your view may differ.

 

Also, here in South Africa with our climate, it takes 2 - 5 weeks (according to www.moneyland.co.za) to dissolve.

[Shebeen]

oh if only we could get to the point where the main litter to complain about was banana peels in the bushes.

[J∆kk∆ls]

Never would it take two years unless you chucked it on a cold, barren mountain top, which is where I suspect that number comes from.  They would barely take two years in my fridge.

 

In our lovely climate it wouldn't last more than a few weeks, and long before that some critters will have found sustenance from it.

 

I don't disagree with your final point entirely as just putting it back in your pocket is no nuisance whatsoever - but I really don't think the odd banana peel (even say 1000 peels chucked over a 100km fun ride distance) does any harm whatsoever.

 

The analogy of someone chucking peels in your garden also doesn't hold as that's probably a tiny area in an urban environment.  Out in the fields between Wellington and Malmesbury the environment should quickly soak up the little windfall?  It's not really unnatural compared to everything that goes on out there continuously.

 

Anyhow, I'm just arguing semantics I guess.  Just put it in your pocket.  Got it.

Agreed and it is a tough call to make sometimes. Does this banana peel get recycled by the municipality or just rot in a pile of general refuse. 

 

I am looking forward to moving to Canada where I can compost for my future veggie garden. For those that have gardens in SA I hope you are keeping your fruits skins and cores and making your own compost. 

 

I was told by a botanist PhD that throwing fruit in a non-indigenous environment is not healthy for the fauna and flora as it introduces unnatural nutrients to the environment. Sure one banana peel here and there won't have an impact but humans are a plague and we should try our best to have a positive influence which is no influence at all. 

[Shebeen]

I find it frustrating when no one gives a crap about rules because they know that there are no consequences to breaking them. Race organisers need to step up. Its for their own good.

since this is the name and shame thread, here is the litterbug that i identified at SCT last year, that the race organisers did zipall about despite me putting it all on a platter for them.

he was riding in this exact club top when i saw him just drop his empty gel sachet on the ground.

and swore at me when i confronted him about it.

 

 

I'm not sure if I should be inking his name and results, but maybe a friend/someone from his club will recognise him and tell him to grow up.

[Quagga]

 

How long it takes to biodegrade. 

Paper bag - 1 month

Apple core - 8 weeks

Orange peel and banana skins - 2 years

 

Just take it home! Who cares if it is biodegradable, it doesn't belong there! 

 

2-5 weeks only

[Eldron]

I do not see anything wrong with it nor feel bad. 

 

Of course, this is my opinion and your view may differ.

 

Also, here in South Africa with our climate, it takes 2 - 5 weeks (according to www.moneyland.co.za) to dissolve.

 

A few reasons...

 

It's only acceptable because not enough people do it to make it a problem - if everybody did it then there would be crumpled up little black banana peels all over and that would suck. Just because you and your mates litter below the "visible rate" doesn't make it acceptable.

 

There are reports on fruit peels attracting wildlife to roadsides (because that's where we throw them) and getting hit by cars.

 

There are reports of wildlife eating skins and getting sick because banana and apple aren't normally in their diet.

 

Of course all of this is circumstantial but what I don't understand is - you bought the thing, popped it in your pocket, ate the fruit... Why is it so hard to just pop it back in your pocket and dispose of it in a method that you know is safe rather than a method that is deemed safe by you and your mates?

 

Leave no trace!

 

Note: I'm a rehabbed banana peel thrower so I am probably a bit like an ex smoker in this regard :-)

[kunjani]

I reckon if it fitted in your pocket before you ate the gel/banana/apple it will fit in your pocket after you eat the gel/banana/apple.

 

Put it back in your pocket and if you feel strongly about adding your recycling then dump the banana peel/apple core in your own garden.

My cycling shirt has three back pockets that I use. The middle one for my phone in a plastic bag. The two side ones for gels & food. Whenever I empty a gel I put it in the centre/middle pocket as my bin with no chance of digging again in that rubbish bin for another gel - only rubbish. With that I never dropped an empty gel sachet by accident.

[Andrew_Smith]

I regard your points stated...

Look, I care for my surroundings and I would describe myself as a 'go-green' person and really hate littering.

So if banana peels are seen as littering, I would gladly keep it in my pocket until we stop at a coffee shop to dispose of it.

Never seen it as littering but if it is not right, I'll stop throwing it in the bushes and try to convince my riding mates to do the same.

 

A few reasons...

 

It's only acceptable because not enough people do it to make it a problem - if everybody did it then there would be crumpled up little black banana peels all over and that would suck. Just because you and your mates litter below the "visible rate" doesn't make it acceptable.

 

There are reports on fruit peels attracting wildlife to roadsides (because that's where we throw them) and getting hit by cars.

 

There are reports of wildlife eating skins and getting sick because banana and apple aren't normally in their diet.

 

Of course all of this is circumstantial but what I don't understand is - you bought the thing, popped it in your pocket, ate the fruit... Why is it so hard to just pop it back in your pocket and dispose of it in a method that you know is safe rather than a method that is deemed safe by you and your mates?

 

Leave no trace!

 

Note: I'm a rehabbed banana peel thrower so I am probably a bit like an ex smoker in this regard :-)

[Dirkitech]

A few reasons...

 

It's only acceptable because not enough people do it to make it a problem - if everybody did it then there would be crumpled up little black banana peels all over and that would suck. Just because you and your mates litter below the "visible rate" doesn't make it acceptable.

 

clipped

Reminds me of the current state of affairs in Jhb where it is safer to ride the mtb on the road because of all the flippen chicken bones lying everywhere!

[Eldron]

I regard your points stated...

 

Look, I care for my surroundings and I would describe myself as a 'go-green' person and really hate littering.

 

So if banana peels are seen as littering, I would gladly keep it in my pocket until we stop at a coffee shop to dispose of it.

 

Never seen it as littering but if it is not right, I'll stop throwing it in the bushes and try to convince my riding mates to do the same.

 

Like I said - a lot of the "evidence" is circumstantial - I just feel on balance of scales that tossing it in your own garbage (or better yet composting it on your own compost heap) is the safer option.

 

In a perfect world all bio garbage would be recycled but we don't live in a perfect world so we have to do what we can.

 

Even over here where we get free government issued biowaste bags that go into dedicated biowaste collectors that are collected by the municipality to turn into biogas and fertiliser there are rumours that a fair amount just gets burnt along with regular trash.

[fabes]

A few reasons...

 

It's only acceptable because not enough people do it to make it a problem - if everybody did it then there would be crumpled up little black banana peels all over and that would suck. Just because you and your mates litter below the "visible rate" doesn't make it acceptable.

 

There are reports on fruit peels attracting wildlife to roadsides (because that's where we throw them) and getting hit by cars.

 

There are reports of wildlife eating skins and getting sick because banana and apple aren't normally in their diet.

 

Of course all of this is circumstantial but what I don't understand is - you bought the thing, popped it in your pocket, ate the fruit... Why is it so hard to just pop it back in your pocket and dispose of it in a method that you know is safe rather than a method that is deemed safe by you and your mates?

 

Leave no trace!

 

Note: I'm a rehabbed banana peel thrower so I am probably a bit like an ex smoker in this regard :-)

So what happens to the peel when you take it home and throw it away there? It gets mixed with all sorts of rubbish and probably takes longer to biodegrade in landfills. So probably better for the earth if you toss it in the Bush

[Eldron]

So what happens to the peel when you take it home and throw it away there? It gets mixed with all sorts of rubbish and probably takes longer to biodegrade in landfills. So probably better for the earth if you toss it in the Bush

 

If you care that much about the environment and biorecyling then you would obviously have your own compost heap at home so your statement is mute.